What To Expect

How are Here 24/7 services provided?

When you contact Here 24/7, our staff will talk to you about your needs, challenges and strengths. We will attend to your immediate needs (for example, if you are in crisis), and will conduct a comprehensive assessment with you. Short term needs will be explored, as well as long term service options.

Your needs will be matched with the service options available within the addictions and mental health service continuum, or a link will be provided to other services and supports in the community. We will do our best to understand what your needs and preferences are, and to connect you to the appropriate services. We have the ability to schedule some appointments directly with a few our partner agencies for some services, so that you do not need to call other providers and re-tell your story. Any information you share with Here 24/7 will be passed along to other providers as part of your transition to the next appropriate service.

When You Call Us

When you call Here 24/7 you may be asked to provide your name and date of birth. If you’re not comfortable with providing that information, you do have the option to remain anonymous. Here 24/7 will ask you what you are hoping to talk about, at your pace. If you are calling to access services, an intake or assessment may be required. In this case, we request to collect your personal contact information, emergency contact, list of medications, doctor’s name, and what your current needs are. We can then complete the intake/assessment within the same phone call or schedule a time that works best for you.

We take a universal screening approach when it comes to suicide prevention. This means that we will ask all callers questions about suicide, even if you don’t tell us that’s something you’re thinking about. It’s kind of like when your doctor takes your blood pressure at each visit. We know the more we ask the more likely you are to share these thoughts with us and get connected to services and supports.

At times Here 24/7 can experience a high call volume. There are times when you may wait on hold to have your call answered. You can stay on the line and speak with the next available Here 24/7 Service Coordinator or you have the option of leaving a voicemail by pressing “9”. Here 24/7 reviews voicemails all day long and returns crisis calls as quickly as possible. For non-urgent voicemail, Here 24/7 aims to return your voicemail within the same day.

When You Walk-In

When you walk into a Here 24/7 site (located at some CMHA WW offices) you can ask one of our Site Support Staff at the main reception to speak with Here 24/7. The Site Support Staff will request you to fill out a form explaining the reason for your visit today. Please fill this form our and return it to the Site Support Staff. Our Site Support Staff will then alert Here 24/7 that you wish to meet with them. A Here 24/7 Service Coordinator will meet with you as quickly as possible. Depending on service needs, you may need to wait a bit.

When You Share That You’re At Risk Of Harming Yourself or Someone Else

Here 24/7 provides support and direction by using the least intrusive service options first whenever possible. Here 24/7 aims to support you in the moment and help to keep you and everyone else safe. There are many ways this can take place. Depending on your unique situation we may:

• Provide a supportive phone call and strategies to keep yourself or others safe
• Provide gentle direction on strategies to keep yourself or others safe
• Provide a follow up call a few hours after the initial phone call to check in on how things are going
• Offer to meet with you in person
• Call emergency services to come and support you (*This is only done in situations where there is significant risk and we are not able to help you stay safe)

We encourage you to be as open and honest with us as possible so that we can support you in the best way possible.